A Solid Retelling Of The WWII Normandy Invasion Story

Rating: 8/10 (28 May 2016)

As the Germans waited in France for the inevitable invasion, the suspense on both sides of the channel was palpable. The British and Americans devised plans of great complexity, involving vast amounts of men and materiel. It was a guessing game where they would land and when. An element of surprise was achieved when the first allied forces appeared off Normandy--where they were not expected--on the tail of relentless rain, through fog banks over choppy waters.
But the initial stages of the attack occurred during the previous night, when allied paratroopers descended over the French countryside. "The Longest Day" does a good job of showing the confusion and mishaps that resulted from the night invasion. And it provides a glimpse into the unintended and accidental nature of war. The effectiveness of the invasion was affected by red tape, egos, poor communications, bad planning and mistakes--just like all wars.
Though the film contains some factual errors, it does a good job (for its time) of conveying the true nature of armed conflict, where lives are often lost or saved simply due to chance.
A large all-star cast and thousands of extras make this film noteworthy. Four directors under the direction of Darryl F. Zanuck were used to achieve balance in the film by serving the American, British and French interests in the story.
For a more graphic representation of that beach invasion, see Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan". But "The Longest Day" is a fine film, especially for its time. The ending includes minimal moralizing and some good summarizing, but it feels like a sequel was envisioned. A television miniseries would certainly be welcomed if it could follow the stories of various participants on all sides of the conflict as this film does.